Film festival honors Kamae with TV, online screenings
JAMM AQUINO / 2014
Eddie Kamae smiles while standing with his wife, Myrna, during a celebration concert and gathering for the Rev. Dennis Kamakahi in 2014 at the Bishop Museum’s Great Lawn.
PBS Hawai‘i and the Hawaiian Legacy Foundation will celebrate the life and work of musician and filmmaker Eddie Kamae by screening 10 of his films.
“The Films of Eddie and Myrna Kamae: From the Heart” kicks off April 6. All 10 films are from the Kamaes’ award-winning “Hawaiian Legacy” documentary series.
“Eddie and I dedicated our energy to the films we created together,” Myrna Kamae said in a statement. “I can hear Eddie saying ‘Hoomau, hoomau,’ and thanks to PBS Hawai‘i, we continue to provide a window into a time and place that many people have yet to discover.”
The films also will be available to stream on-demand for free via the PBS Hawai‘i website from April 10 through 17.
Kamae was 89 years old when he died in January. PBS Hawai‘i President and CEO Leslie Wilcox will host the televised presentation of the screenings.
“THE FILMS OF EDDIE AND MYRNA KAMAE: FROM THE HEART”
APRIL 6: 8-10 P.M.
>> “Li‘a: The Legacy of a Hawaiian Man” (1988): Celebrating performer and composer Sam Li‘a Kalainaina.
>> “Those Who Came Before: The Musical Journey of Eddie Kamae” (2009): The Kamaes’ final documentary recounts Eddie’s journey of musical self-discovery.
APRIL 7: 8-10:30 P.M.
>> “Lahaina: Waves of Change” (2007): The last days of Maui’s Pioneer Mill sugar plantation.
>> “The History of the Sons of Hawai‘i” (2000): The story of the Sons of Hawai‘i, the music group led by Eddie Kamae that helped launch the Hawaiian Cultural Renaissance in the 1970s.
APRIL 8: 7-9 P.M.
>> “Ki Ho‘alu Slack Key: The Hawaiian Way” (1993): Candid interviews and music tell the story of Hawaiian slack key.
>> “Luther Kahekili Makekau: A One Kine Hawaiian Man” (1997): A portrait of a colorful and controversial Hawaiian born during the reign of King Kalakaua.
APRIL 9: NOON-4 P.M.
>> “Listen to the Forest” (1991): An environmental documentary tracing the destruction of Hawaii’s rainforests.
>> “Hawaiian Voices: Bridging Past to Present” (1998): Honoring the role of kupuna in preserving Hawaiian culture.
>> “Words, Earth & Aloha: The Source of Hawaiian Music” (1995): A tribute to composers from the 1870s to the 1920s.
>> “Keepers of the Flame: The Cultural Legacy of Three Hawaiian Women” (2005): The lives of Mary Kawena Pukui, ‘Iolani Luahine and Edith Kanaka‘ole are chronicled.
